


I don't mind falling in love again, when I'm on your side

by moonshinewolf24



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-09-27 10:04:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10004411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonshinewolf24/pseuds/moonshinewolf24
Summary: the smile she always had reserved for him could easily heal his broken heart,and he immediately found himself addicted to his new form of cure.





	1. love flows deeper than the river

Boxes were scattered around the room, if not laid on top of others, as Stiles ripped his gaze from the sea and pulled himself off the glassy window to approach his best friend who was sitting on one of the kitchen stools with an equal thoughtful expression across his young features. How tempting was it just saying less thinking, more unpacking, but he couldn't find it in him to say those words. His mind was so much louder, it troubled him.

His eyes landed on his sleeping beagle that once in a while opened his brown eyes to glance up at him, yawn adorably while lazily wiggling his tail which made a tapping sound as it hit the floor and that sight brought a warm smile to his lips. No matter what happened, at least he got his two best pals.

"Wanna tell me what's on your mind?"

Scott's soft voice filled the rather silent room and pulled him out of his thoughts as he popped another beer open and merely slid it across the counter until his friend took the bottle in his hands. What should have been a response suddenly was nothing but a simple attempt at running away from his problems, and he quickly realised that's what he did best. However, it had been a while since he tried escaping from all the hurt he had either brought upon himself or someone else caused it, and so maybe he deserved some time avoiding it instead of facing it.

"Wanna tell me what's on yours?"

"Well -"

"God, Scott, I was being sarcastic." The impatience that took control over him was inexplicable as he stepped away from the counter and forcibly opened one of the card boxes to pull out a few other items he planned on spreading around the new house. As if on cue, his pet quickly raised his head and watched him intently waiting for him to crumble down perhaps, much like he had been doing for the past weeks. Somehow, the dog could always sense his sadness and usually would comfort him, but that moment wasn't the right time to do so. Not when he clumsily knocked over a framed photo of his fiancée - well, ex fiancée - and cursed loudly. The frustration mixed with a bit of annoyance was quickly replaced with relief though upon noticing it wasn't broken and catching a glimpse of the dark haired beauty glancing up at him with a bright grin across her pretty face, magical dimples popping out, nearly mocking him, with a mysterious glint in her azure eyes forced a deep sigh out of his plump lips. The same glint he had never known, its significance, or even secret - the same glint that broke them, him.

"You need to talk about it."

"Scott -"

"It's been killing you, man."

"I appreciate the concern, but -"

"It's only a matter of time until it breaks you completely and I won't know what to do to bring you back!"

"I swear, man, you need to stop."

"She cheated on you, Stiles!"

"Goddamn it, Scott!"

A loud thud was heard which alerted Yoda that was already sitting with his tail wagging swiftly. One of the male's watched the blood streaming across his best friend's hand, glass scattered across the wooden floor that brought him to believe what had been broken was the same picture not so long ago had slipped through his fingers - like she had.

"Let me see that." Wrapping a dishcloth around the bruised hand, Scott hoped it would be enough to stop the bleeding as he pushed his lifetime friend towards the sink in order to clean it properly. He didn't miss the tears that pooled in those chocolate coloured eyes that darkened with a pure, overwhelming anger, one should not be able to feel. "Is it hurting?"

"No -" Gasping at the sudden pain that stung across his bloody knuckles once the cloth was unwrapped from his hand, Stiles braced himself on the marble as he let the water run across his tender skin. He knew he had to at least face it eventually, even if he didn't talk about it. It had been nearly five months since it had happened, and he had spent most of his time trying to believe that none of it was true. He had even considered forgiving her and pretending nothing had happened, yet every time he saw her, he saw him and he knew he couldn't live the rest of his life seeing another man with his supposed wife, that was not himself. "Fuck."

"That was exactly what I feared."

"You provoked me, Scott! It's not like I was planning on punching a fucking glass and cut myself all over!"

"You quit your job! You moved back home without telling anyone! You bought a damn beach house, man! How many other stupid mistakes will you make until you realise that  
pain won't be going anywhere anytime soon, unless you freaking deal with it?"

"It's just a house! And honestly, I don't see what's so bad about it."

It had been a while since he threw any tantrums, but at that moment it seemed almost impossible not to. He threw the cloth onto the counter and once again, stepped away towards the nearest box, probably hoping to cause more damage. To himself, physically or to his soul, he didn't know. He didn't get to find out though, not when he felt something nudging one of his arms until he glanced down and noticed his dog staring up at him with what could be easily considered concern in those innocent eyes. Patting his body gently, Stiles released a shuddered breath and did his best to fight those cruel, heavy tears as he leaned his head against his dog's.

"There is nothing wrong with it if you're a 60 year old man looking to settle down." His friend, who he had been hoping had already given up on talking some sense into him, continued while approaching them with quiet steps. "This doesn't feel right Stiles, it doesn't feel like you."

"Don't you see? For now, being myself isn't exactly my priority, Scott. I worked my ass off every day to pay for a fancy wedding, one that I didn't even want but decided to accept if it made the person I loved happy. Right now, at this instant, I want to do something for myself. And this is what I want."

"If that's what you want."

"This is what I want."

 

* * *

 

The best thing about buying a beach house is being able to watch the sunrise, or sunset, from a great spot, surrounded by quietness and loneliness he didn't know he needed. The worst thing was definitely not being able to get rid of all of the sand, but still the advantages seemed to make up for it.

Burying bare feet in still warm, ticklish sand, Stiles walked further down the beach towards the water as he watched the line where sky met sea through his dark sunglasses. For the past week, Yoda had been happy to run around and always found his way home early, as if he had a curfew, which was quite amusing to the male, and so he often let him explore without concerns. That was one of those times, as he felt cold, salty water swallowing his toes before slipping away once more.

A carefree, loud, female laugh was what pulled him out of his haze as he twirled on his heels and tried to find the source of that sweet sound. What he hadn't been expecting to find was his dog standing over a female form that tried to squirm away with each lick she got from the overly excited pet. Finally alerted, he sprinted towards the unfamiliar woman and shooed his dog, squinting his eyes at the poor animal behind his glasses and though Yoda couldn't see it, he still knew he was being chastised and instantly sat back like the good boy he was.

"God, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, -" Said the strawberry blonde as she accepted the strong, but still soft hand, and was surprisingly pulled onto her feet in no time. A pair of arms was still holding onto her, hoping to help her finding her balance, and as she finally looked up after brushing away each grain of sand, she was mesmerised by the brown eyes that watched her with a certain worry she figured she was meeting for the first time in her life. At some point during that embarrassing encounter, her mysterious neighbour - yes, she knew he was her neighbour, though he seemed not have noticed it yet, - had already slid his glasses to the top of his head, over tousled, dark hair and was observing her intently. Actually watching her, seeing through her as if they had known each other for years. "I've met him already. Yoda, right?"

"Yes, how do you know that?"

"His collar."

"Oh!" Realisation replaced the confusion, and a little bit of fear, that was written across his face and she couldn't help but laugh. For some reason, he was probably thinking she was a stalker and even if that was a serious matter, it still made her laugh.

"I'm Lydia."

"Lydia," He tried, enjoying how it rolled off his tongue and practically made him feel like it was meant to be. Again, he wrapped his long fingers around a delicate, manicured hand and shook it lightly. "I'm Mieczyslaw - Stiles! Call me Stiles."

"It's nice to meet you, Stiles."

"Yeah, you too."

"As I was saying, I had already met Yoda." Watching as she kneeled on the sand in front of his dog, Stiles couldn't help but remind himself that Christine had never liked Yoda, wasting most of their time complaining about how messy and loud the animal was - not to mention she often said she didn't like animals in general, which went against every of his principles. Lydia, he told himself, was different. She kissed Yoda's head and caressed his fur lovingly, gave him attention as if he was her own. He thought that was absolutely adorable. "He's been visiting me a lot lately."

"Oh, god, did he break anything? Did he - did he hurt you, or something?"

"No!" She spoke, her tone as surprised as her facial expression, when he found himself getting lost in the immensity of hazel green eyes as they widened in absolute, pure shock. Her arms were still around Yoda while he incessantly licked all over her face, but she wasn't bothered, she seemed accostumed to it. "Please, don't try keeping him away. I enjoy his company, he's very nice." This time, that hazel green stare was directed to his dog as she lovingly smiled at him and not for a second, let him go. "I've grown used to him already. He comes to me every day, interrupts my study, but is always a great listener."

"Yeah, there are a few perks about having a pet. Though if I'm sharing his time now, I guess we should share the expenses as well."

"That sounds great." She said with a soft chuckle, standing on her feet again. "See you around?"

"Absolutely."

Suddenly, she took off again and since he figured it would be slightly creepy watching as she went away, Stiles whistled softly and made his way up to his house. He didn't even notice his best friend sitting on the porch swing, or as he followed his footsteps inside, considering he was too lost replaying what had just happened. When he did notice Scott, he was staring at Yoda like he had seen him for the first time.

"I just met this gorgeous girl, whom I assume lives next door."

"He's oddly happy." The other male interrupted, still not taking his eyes off the animal.

"I don't think I've ever noticed her before, but she's met Yoda so I guess she has to live nearby."

"There is sand all around his nose, man."

"But she's so beautiful -"

"I still can't believe you called him Yoda."

"Are you hearing me?" Unintentionally, those words sounded more like a growl than anything else but that instantly caught Scott's attention, who quickly glanced up at the paler man.

"Yes, I did. You met a hot chick who loves your dog. Got it." It's not that he meant to dismiss the subject as if it didn't matter at all, he merely didn't want to encourage his best friend to fall in love with another woman when he wasn't even over his ex. The last thing he wanted was to boost more heartache upon that already fragilised man.

"Hot chick," He scoffed, turning away. "You're such a dick."

 

* * *

 

During the following days, the only interaction between Lydia and Stiles were stolen glances and shy smiles as one of them left or arrived home. He had lamely attempted to talk to her by asking her what was the nearest shop, which he already knew, but it was still worth it having those hazel green eyes watching him instead of merely daydreaming about them. Not to mention the smile she always had reserved for him could easily heal his broken heart, and he immediately found himself addicted to his new form of cure. Still, he didn't rush things or forced himself on the woman, not wanting to scare her off - even if she didn't look like she could be easily scared. If he didn't know any better, he would say he was probably beginning to like her a little bit too much.

One late evening, Yoda hadn't come home yet as usual and so he decided to take a walk to look for him, even if he could guess where the dog was. That same idea had been confirmed as he wandered up to the house again, his hands safely tucked in the pockets of his seal linen shorts while he enjoyed the breeze he could feel through his loosened white rio shirt, and he noticed the woman he had been hoping to see standing beside his dog on her porch.

Taking a quick glance at the sundress she was wearing, her beautiful strawberry blonde curls tied up in a messy bun, he couldn't help the grin that appeared across his lips. She always looked gorgeous.

"Not sure sneakers are the wisest choice for a walk on the beach."

"No one told me it would be a problem." He joked, climbing only one of the stairs as he waited for her to approach him as well. Truth was, he didn't want to read signs where there weren't any. "Are you and my dog having a sleepover?"

"I figured you would be looking for him." She said eventually, uncrossing her arms as she did step down next to him and messed with his collar until it was folded properly. "So I was going to take him home."

"He doesn't seem to want to go." The male mumbled, doing his best to avoid the warmth that spread through him as those slender, cold fingers brushed against his neck. As he glanced over at where his dog was already sleeping, his lips curled in a warm smile before he looked up at the woman who instead of watching the pet, was observing him instead. "Honestly, neither do I."

Acting out of pure impulsivity, one of his feet stepped onto the stair above the one he was standing on, and his arms curled around her soft curves causing his folded sleeves to roll up higher, and the cold breeze hitting his soft, heated skin, or their closeness, he wasn't sure, sent shivers up his spine. When he thought maybe he was making a mistake, she met him halfway and their lips pressed in a coy, soft kiss - both of them scared of deepening it and ruining it or what it meant. The second it felt long enough, she was the one to pull back, though her hands were still laid across his broad shoulders as he, too, held her close.

"So, will I see you tomorrow?" He mumbled shyly, making her smile.

"Yes. And this time, bring coffee. I'm a huge fan of coffee."


	2. but you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight

They had agreed to meet at 10 in the morning, mostly because none of them was quite certain when the other would wake up or what was too late, or too early for each other. It was over 2 pm when Lydia finally grew worried, since neither Stiles or Yoda had showed up at her house, or on the beach. Not that she had been stalking them, waiting for any of them to make an appearance, she knew that unexpected things happened and maybe that was why he still hadn't come over with the cup of coffee, as promised. Perhaps he regretted what had happened the previous night, perhaps he didn't want to face her and have to tell her he would rather not see her again, because it was just awkward. Her mind had been creating all kinds of thoughts, some worse than others, and she realised she was driving herself crazy for no good reason. So far, her neighbour had been absolutely pleasant to her and if she was really that worried, all she had to do was come over to his house and find out if everything was alright or not.

However, the more she thought of doing that, the more she realised that maybe she was being to obsessive and controlling, which weren't two nice things to start a relationship with. It wasn't that Lydia Martin was controlling because, in reality, she wasn't. She just had seen enough at her job that made her feel like everything was possible, and the mere thought of something happening to someone as kind as Stiles terrified her. So, without another thought, she grabbed her keys and made her way out, making sure the front door was safely locked before she went to the male's house.

Standing on the porch, the strawberry blonde noticed that the open was ajar which instantly worried her, and upon hearing soft, though still somewhat loud voices, she couldn't contain her curiosity and finally walked in. "Stiles?"

"Oh, come on, kid! Why is it so hard to just open your - oh, hey, Lydia." Her hazel green eyes were widened as she watched Stiles holding a plastic bowl in one of his hands, while gripping on a small spoon with the other. In front of him, sat a, perhaps, 2 year old child, on a high chair and suddenly things started to make a lot more sense. The reason why he never walked his dog, the reason why he usually only came out to the beach at the end of the afternoon and, of course, her favourite, the reason why he was late to their supposedly first date. 

"When were you going to tell me you have a kid?"

"What?" His shocked expression caught her off guard, was he actually planning on denying it? "I don't have a kid!"

"Really?" There it was, what she had been hoping to avoid and prevent from happening: a possessive move from her part that would give him every reason not to date her. "The kid sitting on the high chair, with his clothes nearly dirty as yours, - which I assume he refused eating and spat the food all over both of you instead? Would say the otherwise." She wasn't sure if she could do  _that_ , a relationship with a single father,  _she hoped_ he was at least a single father. Was that wrong, wishing that innocent child's parents were apart? She also didn't think he would want anything with her from that moment on, either, but the smile that was formed on his plump lips afterwards told her that maybe she was wrong about the latter. "What's so funny? This isn't funny, Stiles!"

"This is Ian."

"He has a name? Interesting." The bite in her words only seemed to encourage him who smiled cheekily in return and finally dropped the bowl in front of Ian as he instantly dug his tiny fingers in the food and decided to make a bigger mess. "I'm not sure that's clever, Stiles, he's gonna -" 

Before she had time to finish that sentence, the little of food that was left in the bowl was thrown at his face as he shut his eyes slowly in a poor attempt at calming himself while she couldn't suppress a snicker. There weren't many things she was certain of at that moment, but she knew for sure that laughing wasn't a good idea. 

"He's my godson." He started with a glare towards the small child who mischievously smiled up at him. It was as if he knew he was way too cute, and so he was tempting him, knowing he would be able to get away with it. Suddenly, he found himself questioning why he agreed to babysitting in the first place. _There is a reason why every kid in the world cries whenever you pick them up,_ Stiles, _and that's because you just don't get along with them._  "Isaac, one of my closest friends, is in town for a few days and needed me to look after him for the day."

Well, great way to make her feel like a complete moron. 

"I'm sorry I didn't bring you coffee as promised, I know we had a date -"

"Oh, god, please." Her hands shot up to her face as she covered it in shame and ducked away from his gaze, nearly feeling that kind, though still humorous, glint in his eyes that always melted her on the inside. She could also feel him silently mocking her, the same teasing, but still so sexy, crooked grin across his lips that usually made her want to kiss him or come up with a witty comment before turning away to leave. "Please don't apologise. I'm the one who should apologise."

"It's okay, I would have assumed too."

"Yeah, but that's the problem."

Finally, her hands dropped at her sides and she met his coffee coloured eyes, not missing the goofy smile on his lips that clearly showed her he had indeed been mocking her whilst she mentally scolded herself for being so paranoid.

"I should have just asked, not assumed. It's wrong."

"Yes, it is." Her face fell, his words giving her the certainty that she had messed up after all by starting off that awkwardly. Stiles had never really given her a reason to doubt him, but she hadn't met him that long either and doubt came with assumptions, which usually never ended well with her since, unless it was something medical/scientific related, she had trouble coming to a conclusion - a well formed, correct conclusion. Her emotions often clouded her judgement, no matter how hard she tried to hide them, or to pretend she didn't wasn't an emotional person. Feelings were something she found too hard to figure out, so she would often choose not to give them that significant amount of value that, eventually, would only break her. Being rational came always easier to her, thus she was having some trouble not being logical around that handsome, but still so foreign, young man. "It might make things worse, but... I would have assumed as well, Lyds. Don't beat yourself up. It's fine, really. Besides, I should take that as a compliment since, beyond being an absolute mess, Ian is cute too. I will just assume you were indirectly trying to tell me you find me cute."

She had to fight the urge to smile as she heard the nickname, _Lyds_. No one called her _Lyds!_ and got away with it. "Is there any other way you want to embarrass me with?"

He shrugged, a quiet chuckle escaping his mouth while he glanced down at the kid and realised that maybe he should give him a shower. And while he was at it, he should probably have a shower as well since the girl he had been trying to impress for the past days was  _there,_ in  _his house_ that was a complete mess caused by a pet and a young boy.

With a tilt of his head, Stiles watched as his godson held out his arms as a sign of needing to be picked up  _now_ , and as his brow rose teasingly, he decided it was best if he put them both out of their misery and merely scooped him up, out of the chair. "I should probably give him a bath, or something." He didn't want her to leave, but he was willing to understand if she chose to just meet him later. Deep down, he realised that the whole situation was awkward as it was, assuming that Ian was his child only made it even weirder - not to mention harder - and it was acceptable if she would rather not be around him for the moment. Sometimes, it could take people a while to get over the embarrassment. He wasn't one of those people, in fact he would merely make an awkward joke and hope for the best. But he knew that Lydia wasn't necessarily like him. She wasn't supposed to be just like him. 

"Do you need help?"

"No, I -" He looked down at the child in his arms, his mouth quirking up in a fondle grin. "I'm hoping I've got at least that part covered. Will you leave?"

"Do you want me to?"

"No! God, no." Shaking his head and worried that Lydia maybe thought he didn't want her  _there_ ,  _with him,_ he tried coming up with some sort of speech that would assure her there was no reason why he didn't want her around. But then, the smile present on her full lips made him realise that she was, just like he did a few moments back, teasing him. 

"I could clean that up, if you want?"

"No, there is no need. I can -" Again, his eyes wandered across his clothes and Daniel's, and suddenly, he made a decision. One he hoped he wouldn't regret later. Even thinking about it made him face how wrong it was. "Actually, would you, please? I'm not sure any of us will survive the following 15 minutes."

"I'm sure you will do fine. Both of you." She said with a laugh, heading towards where he was standing and his breath instantly hitched in his throat. Except, what he had been hoping for to happen didn't happen at all as she merely grabbed the bowl and the sippy cup, and then walked towards the sink to wash both things. How could he expect her to actually kiss him? He had already been rash for the both of them by kissing her on the previous night, and he knew that rushing things would only ruin them. And, to be fair, a part of him knew that ruin whatever was going on between them was something he would regret forever.

Hoping the disappointment hadn't shown off across his young features, Stiles pointed out awkward towards the front door, thinking it was the bathroom, and spoke with a husky voice that he barely recognised as his own, upon noticing how domestic all of that seemed. "Okay, I'll just - I'll go."

"Okay, I'll be waiting."

 

* * *

 

 

"Ian! Ian, bud - come on!" 

The same loud pleas she had heard earlier filled the silent house, and out of curiosity she slipped off her seat and went to find out what was happening. In less than mere three seconds, Lydia was pulled out of her haze upon seeing how a very naked child ran out of the bathroom, across the hallway and into the living room. Stiles wasn't far behind, and this time, when she looked at him, his plaid button down shirt was quite soaked and it almost made her chuckle, just like she had earlier, but a wet Ian who could easily slip and fall became her priority as she quickly grabbed the nearest piece of garment, that being the male's red zip up hoodie, and proceeded to wrap it around the small boy's body as soon as he ran into her.

"What have I done to deserve this?" Stiles said exasperatedly, with both his hands glued at his hips as he eyed the strawberry blonde woman scooping him up and holding him safely in her chest. Those words earned a chuckle from her, though the following sentence that slipped out of his mouth seemed to make her laugh - actually make her loudly, and truthfully laugh which instantly caused him to smile, proudly if he was being honest with himself. "Now that is something I never thought I'd witness. My next door neighbour, the one I've been relentlessly trying to impress, wrapping one of my favourite hoodies around my friend's kid as a towel."

"I'm gonna ask again, do you need help?"

"Well, I'd be kind of an asshole to say no now, right?"

"Probably."

"Then, yes, I very much need the help."

Following Stiles into his bedroom, she tried not to overthink the fact that the first time she walked inside his room and took a peek at his personal things was because she was supposed to help him dressing his godson. At the look on his face, she realised that he was trying not to overthink it either. That was going to be a fun day, she knew that for sure.

She sat with the kid across his bed, and did her best to push down all those thoughts that reminded her she wouldn't mind being back in that room, - in that bed, - under different circumstances. Clothes were thrown at her, and before she had the time to frown for being so abruptly ripped out of her  _not so innocent_ thoughts, she observed Stiles tiredly approaching them and kneeling on the rug in front of the bed where they were both still sitting on. It took them nearly half hour to get him dressed, considering every time one of them tried slipping a pair of shorts on him, Ian would just squirm away until he was down on the floor and running out the door. At a certain point, he had exhausted himsef, - which came as a true relief - and while Stiles held him gently, singing soothingly in his ear, something that seemed to calm him immediately, Lydia dressed him with his pyjamas that had tiny dinosaurs across his shorts and a large, single one on the front of his shirt. She found that tremendously adorable. It only made her want kids even more. 

"That's really cute."

"Why, thank you!"

"The pyjamas, Stiles." She added with a roll of her eyes, which got him to laugh whilst he slowly let go of Ian and allowed him to wander around the room. 

"Yeah, I bought them for him whenever he spends the night with me."

"Does that happen often?"

"Not until I moved here, no." He sounded really regretful, and once again she found herself wondering what had happened in his life to make him wanna make such drastic decisions. She hadn't had the chance to ask, and, quite honestly, she didn't have the courage either. Although she couldn't deny she was indeed curious, she also knew it wasn't her place to ask yet and she wasn't sure if she was ready to know either. Maybe time was something both of them needed. "I know this is too much to ask, but would you consider controlling the beast while I take a shower?"

Her hazel green eyes roamed through his body appreciatively, which he did not miss but decided not to say anything about it, and once she was done clearly checking him out, she agreed with a nod of her head since he did need a shower.

"Where is Yoda, by the way?"

"Probably sleeping outside, on the porch. Believe it or not, that small human has tired us all."

Her sweet, full of life laugh filled his ears as he finally exited the room and went for the bathroom instead with fresh clothes in his hands. A part of his brain kept reminding him of how unfair that whole situation was, leaving his favourite little monster in her care when she didn't have to deal with any of that, but then he also remembered that she had a way around things. She could calm Yoda, that was usually an energetic and rather annoying pet when he wanted to be, in a matter of seconds. She could also make him feel really comfortable, something that shouldn't take a lot of effort but after being broken by the one person he assumed would never break him, it came to him as a surprise being happy around someone knew - around someone as beautiful, kind and loving as Lydia Martin.

Not wanting to take advantage of her goodness, he took a quick shower and got dressed in less than 10 minutes. To be honest, he knew that eventually Ian would find a way to make his place, and them, filthy so there was reason why he should be cautious and thorough with that at that moment.

With quiet steps, he entered the sitting room and noticed the woman relaxing on the couch, a toddler laying and already sleeping cuddled into her chest whilst Yoda found a way to snuggle in her lap. Out of nowhere, he found himself wishing he would get to see that more often - _what? you just met her, dude! don't be so needy and most importantly, don't scare her away._ When he was finally able to silence his inner voice, at the back of his noisy mind, he padded towards the sofa and collapsed on it as well before his fingers unconsciously slipped through the child's blonde curls fondly.

"Thank you for being so great with children."

"You're very welcome." She said with a silent chuckle. "But there is only one, so it shouldn't be that hard."

"There is actually two." He quipped with a playful wiggle of his brows while pointing one of his long forefingers to his chest. "But really, thank you. I would have probably gone mad if it weren't for you."

"There's no need, and you were doing fine without me."

" _Really_?"

"No, not really." She snorted, her head resting across his chest after he slid one of his arms around her shoulders. "What were they thinking to make you the godfather?"

"Yoda begged."

"Clearly."

The fact they were so comfortable around each other, so familiar as if they had known each other for years, caused him to smile tenderly while his eyes fluttered shut. He wasn't planning on falling asleep, but the exhaustion he was feeling after a couple of hours with Ian wasn't helping his case in any way, and though he was supposed to feel guilty about it considering she had come over to spend time with _him_ , he didn't seem to mind falling asleep with her in his arms. 

"Is it okay if I take a nap?"

"That's alright. I might take one too."

"Will you wake me if you have to leave?"

"Of course, Stiles."

"Just don't wake the beastie."

"Don't call him that, he's cute."

"You're a lunatic." What was meant to be a chuckle came out more as a huff of breath which gave him the idea she was so close to drift off to sleep, as was he. "I really am sorry about the coffee."

"Don't... this is better."

 

* * *

 

 

"What are you doing here?" Lydia said softly while pushing her reading glasses to the top of her strawberry blonde locks and putting the medical journal away, the corners of her mouth tilted in a small smirk as she observed him climbing the porch stairs with two mugs in his hands, before taking a seat at the top stair. Yoda followed him silently, and only sat at his feet when she joined them.

"I brought hot cocoa." 

It was a little after 9 pm, Isaac had stopped by to pick Ian up before dinner and he had been - quite awkwardly - watching her from his window, delighted in the way she was so focused reading as the sun set, and after the first stars made their appearance. Nothing seemed to bother, or matter to her, and he found that rather peaceful. He loved the sensations she provided him, obviously unaware of the effect she had on him, which only made it even better. It was good to keep that as a secret for a while.

Eventually, he wasn't able to deal with the guilt of ruining their supposed first date, and he decided he should probably do something about it. He knew, deep in his heart, that she wasn't upset and maybe even enjoyed what he could offer her for that day, but he was still overwhelmed with the need to make it up to her, as if he had made one of the worst mistakes in the world. Which, to be honest, it kind of was. It had been such a long time since he had his last first date, that made he had no idea how things were meant to work out anymore - he did know, however, that they were not supposed to work out like that.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what's this for?"

"I figured I should make it up to you, for not bringing coffee." His slender fingers slipped around the mug carefully, feeling the heat radiating off of it that quickly was spread through him, whilst it warmed his cold hands. They were always cold, unlike his heart that, maybe, for his sake, should be too. "And you know, for being able to ruin our first date so effortlessly."

"Stiles -" She started, placing her mug down on the step before grabbing his and sitting it next to her as well. Then, she grabbed his hands in hers and rubbed the still bruised knuckles carefully - she had noticed that earlier that day, but it was just something else she decided she should wonder about silently. He obviously didn't want to talk about it, seeing he kept trying to hide it from her. "Today was perhaps the best first date I ever had. If, of course, you still want to call it a date." His eyes beamed at her, and she couldn't resist the urge to glide her fingertips across his sharp jawline and cup his cheek tenderly. He was so handsome, it made her feel so giddy inside that a guy like him actually took interest in her. How ironic was that, if she had met him before - in a long forgotten past, - she wouldn't even notice him? It caused her a great deal of happiness knowing that he had appeared in her life when she was mature enough to _appreciate_ him. "Yes, it didn't happen under the circumstances we both hoped for but I know you didn't purposely sabotage our date."

"No, I didn't."

"And honestly, I wouldn't say you really sabotaged it either. Ian, despite his difficult behaviour, is a sweet child and I loved meeting him. I loved seeing you with him, it only made me like you even more. And, to be quite honest, I was glad that you let me be a part of it."

"Well, you were a great help."

"Yes, I can't deny that you aren't very talented at dealing with kids."

He laughed softly and kissed her knuckles gently before his hot cocoa was handed back to him. "Okay, I get it. I suck at babysitting, please stop rubbing it in my face."

"I'm just saying, I had fun."

With a quick glance at her, Stiles smiled broadly at her before wrapping one of his arms around her shoulders and pulling her closer in his embrace, which she gladly accepted and snuggled into his brown leather jacket. Her hazel green eyes fluttered shut whilst, on the other hand, his chocolate coloured ones were set up on the sky full of stars, appreciating the night's beauty that always seemed to fascinate him. For the past months, the darkness had been something that frightened him - not what was perhaps hidden in it, but the loneliness of it, having to face it on his own. As he sat there, and realised that he still did not mean to rush things but was willing to open up to possibilities, she became aware of the fact that though not being a master at handling or adjusting to new emotions, she was willing to do it for him. Maybe it was the recent existence of those feelings, or the new, and still unfamiliar presence he held in her life that made her want more. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. She just wanted more.

And hopefully, he did too.

"But seriously, hot cocoa? What are you? 12?"

"Shut up, I didn't hear you complaining as you drank yours and most of mine."

"Well, at least you're good at making hot cocoa."

"I'm good at a lot of things."

Grabbing the lapels of his jacket, she drew him closer until he lowered his head and his lips met hers. This time, the kiss wasn't as cautious or shy as the first one they shared, not when he slipped his tongue through open lips once he was granted access and tasted the sweet flavour of the drink he had offered her, mixed with something even sweeter that he could only recognise as  _Lydia_. "Um, indeed. You're a great kisser as well."


	3. like the air I breathe, I let you in

"So, I have season 3 of Friends and season 2 of Grey's Anatomy. What are you up for?"

He made himself comfortable on the couch after walking in the house without even having to knock, since that had become a habit to the both of them and she already left the door open for him. It had been two weeks since their afternoon spent with his godson, and since then Lydia had invited him over nearly every day after coming home from the hospital. No matter the time, she would beg for his company after a rough shift and he would come over instantly, without putting too much thought into it. It felt natural, hence the reason why he didn't even complain when it was 3 am and she called him, effectively picking up after the second ring to hear her tired, defeated voice pleading him to keep her some company. From the beginning, they would curl up in her couch and with something in the background, they either would talk about her day or something else entirely. 

And that was what happened that night. It was shortly after nine pm when Lydia grabbed her phone and texted him with a simple; ' _can you please come over_ ' - to which he didn't even bother answering as he merely left his house and headed towards the one next to his, with Yoda chasing closely behind. Apparently, there had been a terrible car accident and one of the people involved was a pregnant woman, and her mood was, as expected, the worst, even though there hadn't been any casualties. 

"I'm not in the mood for anything any more dramatic than Ross cheating on Rachel and insisting they were on a break."

"But they were on a -" Upon seeing the glare she threw at him from the kitchen, he was reminded of the fact she had had a crappy day and it was perhaps best if he agreed with her view on things. "Yeah, nevermind."

As she placed the popcorn on a bowl, Stiles busied himself with playing the Friends' DVD before making his way back to the sofa and sitting down, ready for a long night of talking about everything and nothing at all when she should be sleeping instead. Thankfully, she was beside him in no time and he quickly played the first episode of season 3 whilst she fed him some popcorn. "Microwave popcorn? Couldn't go for anything harder than that? I thought I meant more than that."

"Why put effort in something hard when you have a much easier way out?"

"Is that your motto?" He murmured teasingly before humming to the song  _I'll Be There for You_ by  _The Rembrandts_ , and as he gazed down at her and saw that smirk upon her face, it made him wonder if it was because of his question or the simple fact he couldn't help but hum every time. 

"Only when it comes to cooking. You know I would ruin them if they weren't microwave popcorn." As she snuggled in his chest, he grabbed the blanket draped over the back of the couch and carefully placed it over her legs - just another thing that became a habit and none of them felt the need to acknowledge it. It was almost as if they had been together for years when in reality they barely knew each other. Still, the fact they were so comfortable and happy around each other had to mean something, and that may or may not have been the reason why they just let it be. "In fact, I don't think I have eaten proper meals in years. Well, these two last weeks aside, of course, since you insist on cooking for me."

"You're a doctor Lydia, aren't you supposed to know how bad it is going a couple of days without eating? You can't live off multiple cups of coffee and random sandwiches. Especially when you're responsible for many people's lives."

"Residency takes too much of my time."

She couldn't deny how adorable he was for being so concerned about her health, and that was why she even accepted him to cook for her at least once per day. At first, she had been so shocked she refused to accept it, not wanting to make him her _slave_ when he surely had way better things to do. It was when he earnestly argued about how reckless and irresponsible she was for not eating that she realised he wasn't dropping that subject anytime soon, and she did miss homemade meals once in a while, so she stopped fighting. Not to mention that Stiles Stilinski was actually a good cook.

"That's an excuse."

"Is not." His mouth quirked up in a smile, something that happened a lot when she was around. Sometimes - though quite rarely - when he was alone, his mind drifted to the moments he spent with her, and it always forced the realisation on him that he was naturally, purely happy, even when she didn't do anything to provide him that kind of sensation. Ever since Lydia was bugged by his dog, he had been smiling a lot more, more than he ever had before in his life. It wasn't that she managed to make him happier than he had been for the past months, she actually got to make him feel things he never had before in his life. Her mere presence was soothing, yet also exciting. She took so much interest in him, and no one had ever really done that before - other than Scott, but his best friend was **supposed** to, being practically his brother.

"You had to know that when you decided to go to med school."

"Why don't we ever talk about  _your_ job?" There it was, the curiosity he had been trying to shut down from day one, but she just did not give up and it brought him to believe it was about time he stopped avoiding the subject. Sooner or later, she would find out and the fact she knew something was going on, even when he refused telling her, and she was still there was somewhat relieving to him. Talking shouldn't be so hard.

"I own a surf shop."

"Your actual job, Stiles."

With furrowed eyebrows, Stiles looked down at her only to find her expectantly staring up at him, too, waiting for an actual answer rather than  _that is my actual job_ as a way of escaping the subject. It was then that he decided it  **really** was the time seeing she was never going to give up, and he shouldn't build a relationship - no matter what kind - based on lies or half truths. God only knows what  **those** did to him after he found out his ex fiancée had been cheating on him for a little over a year. 

"Look -" She continued, efficiently pulling him out of his deep thoughts. "I have seen enough movies to know that someone who appears out of nowhere like that and leads this kind of life is either something creepy, or had something happening to them."

"Really? That's what you're going with?"

"Shut up." Inevitably, a laugh found its way out of his plump lips as he shook his head in disbelief, but still did as told, letting her continue even though he was terrified of what was coming next. She did have a surprisingly frightening imagination, after all. "The thing is, you're not a vampire, right?"

"If you've seen enough movies, you should know that vampires aren't exactly fond of the sun. That should tell you I am not a vampire."

"Okay, so what happened to you?"

"I'm a homicide detective." That wasn't an answer to her question, but just like every other story, his had to start somewhere, with something logical. "I worked for the New York Police Department for a while." Seeing how impressed she actually looked, he realised that maybe it was good to make a pause there and let her say whatever it was that went through her head, because that look of surprise couldn't be something good and forcing her to contain her reaction would be _cruel_.

"And you moved to Be-"

"Beacon Hills, yes. Small town, but it's my hometown. Where my father is. It's just felt like the perfect place to go, where I ironically feel safe, though I know things happen everywhere."

"That doesn't explain what happened to you."

"You're kind of an impatient person, aren't you?"

His mouth quirked up in a small smile, purposely not continuing to tell her what had really happened to him only to see her suffering a while longer, trapped in her unsatisfied curiosity that only seemed to grow by the second. She wasn't as amused by it though, the frown that took over her features and the way she pursed her lips told him that if he didn't get to it soon, she would probably ditch him and go to sleep. Not that she intended to push him into talking, she had merely let her curiosity speak louder and act according to it, and once Stiles willingly began to answer her questions, it may have showed he planned on telling her everything yet there he was, mocking her into almost begging him for it. Although there was a part of her brain that practically screamed to her, basically pleading her to stop with the questions since whatever had happened in New York had to be painful enough for him to need to run away from, and therefore talking about it was going to reopen a wound which would make his guard come up and possibly even shut her out.

She was about to tell him there was no need to talk when suddenly, his soft, yet huskier than usual, voice was heard once more, causing her to forget about the show in the background - even if she wasn't paying attention at all to it from the start, too busy focusing on the male cuddling her closer.

"We met on a case." He cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze as his own fixed on the wall in front of him. "Her name was Christine. She was an aspiring journalist, wanting to make a change in the world, be someone that people would remember later. She caught my attention the minute I noticed how blue her eyes were, but we didn't get along at all, not for a while. Eventually we did get along by grabbing a drink after work, and what started as a simple meeting between acquaintances turned into something more, and soon enough we were dating. I had everything I wanted. The job, the girl, - even Yoda. Until she proposed to me, even though she knew I was very much against getting married and after a few embarrassing attempts and conversations about it, I agreed to it. It was just another thing I did for her, to see her happy, and yet I still felt selfish for having such an opinion towards it. I just never thought I needed a wedding band on my ring to determine my relationship, but I still did it for her. I did everything for her. I dropped a few cases for her, I ditched the squad for her more often than not, I brought Yoda to Beacon Hills after she strongly decided she could not have a pet, I nearly sold my jeep, the one thing I loved the most during my whole life, but then realised that leaving it at my dad's, too, shouldn't be a problem. I did it all for her, I worked extra hours, took crappy work one should not have to do, in order to pay for the wedding _she_ wanted, and I thought it was normal. You're supposed to make sacrifices for the people you love, right?"

The lack of response or reaction he got should have concerned him, but he quickly realised that Lydia was simply paying attention to his words, waiting for him to continue before saying anything at all and that was relieving, how interested and of course, not to mention curious, she was, how she didn't even judge him or tell him that there was a difference between naivety and stupidity, since that was what people tended to tell him after hearing about what happened between him and his ex fiancée.

"Then I was supposed to be taking an extra shift, which meant she shouldn't be expecting me to come home 'till, perhaps, the following morning, but I wasn't feeling great, so I went  _home_ , where I found  _my_ fiancée, and  _my_ partner, in  _my_ bed, going at it like rabbits -" Normally, under any other circumstances, she would have laughed at the expression, but once she noticed the somber expression across his face, she swallowed thickly and realised that _painful_ wasn't quite the exact word to express what he may have felt. No, it was something _worse_. "Something that apparently had been happening for over a year, before she even asked me to marry her. So, I heard every single lame excuse that came out of her mouth to explain her actions and I decided, out of pure compassion, since I seemed to have lost every bit of love I felt for her, to give her another chance. But every time I came home, I pictured him, in my bed, with my soon to be wife. And every time I went to work, I thought of how he was supposed to have my back when, in reality, he had been stabbing it every single day, whenever he screwed _my fiancée_. I just gave up, I packed a few bags and after quitting my job, I came back home."

"Stiles, I -"

"People keep telling me I've gone nuts. I dropped my whole life, went back home and bought a beach house. As if that wasn't enough, I have a crappy job. This is all I've been hearing for the past weeks, and quite frankly, I feel as if the old me would tell me the exact same thing, but -"

"You're doing what it feels right for you. For once, you're doing something for yourself rather than someone else."

She understood. That may have been the reason why he felt so drawn to her from the beginning, she actually understood him instead of judging his every decision by telling him he was past that childish, reckless phase in which he merely did everything wrong, knowing it was wrong, without the least bit of effort to do the right thing. For some reason, he couldn't remember the last time someone had been that gentle and caring towards him without expecting anything in return, wanting to simply take care of him instead of trying to get something from him, too, and though it was too early to call it love, he knew that tenderness was unusual, but he still gladly accepted it once he leaned into the touch and sighed in contentment.

"Believe it or not, you did the right thing." What? There was no way he was able to hide his initial shock, that was quickly replaced by confusion, at her words. "You did something for yourself, Stiles, you took care of yourself and no matter how you did it, that's still the most important thing."

"Even if it's irresponsible?"

"Even if it's  _different_." Her smile eased his nerves, calmed the constant throbbing pain in his ugly, shattered soul and once again he was reminded of the cure - _his_ cure - in that smile that always made him feel so much better, that made him feel like he was capable of anything, including getting over that heartbreak without holding a grudge, that made him feel like he was _invencible_. "But I feel like I have to say this... I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I'm sorry she didn't see the wonderful man you truly are, that would literally give up just about anything for her. But truly, I'm sorry for being glad she was that ungrateful and such a fool."

 

* * *

 

 

They had fallen asleep in each other's arms after her quiet confession, that though should have made him feel offended and upset she was glad he went through that heartache, he actually felt glad, too. Finding Lydia Martin, though still something new, was without doubt the best thing that happened to him in a very long time. Their bond was new, fragile and needed to be taken care of every day until it was strengthened enough to survive everything until it would reassure them that nothing would break it, but he was confident that it wouldn't take long for them to see that progress. He knew he had been putting as much effort as he could in their relationship, but selfishly, he was happy to see that for once someone seemed to fight as much or even more than he did. She wasn't going to give up, and he was lucky for that. Far too lucky.

Being woken up by a loud shriek is certainly not the best way to wake, but he couldn't fault her for that - every minute spent with that woman was magnificent, including being scared to death. As he sat up straight on the couch, the blanket slipping off his legs as his dog whined from the spot he was sitting next to the strawberry blonde, Stiles' brows furrowed in worry as he rubbed sleep off his eyes with the heels of his hands. "What happened?" Her response was a loud, painful groan as she hopped miserably on the floor, pouting at something on a plate sitting on the counter in front of her. "Baby, what happened?" The pet name slipped off his lips naturally, as if that wasn't the first time he actually allowed himself to say it and she glanced over at him, her surprise caused by it being replaced with a wide smirk at his tousled hair and sleepy face. 

Deciding it was pointless trying to persuade her into talking since she was definitely in the mood to pout, the detective hopped off the couch and was ready to head over to where she was standing when she mumbled something incoherently. His brow arched as he eyed her, before his sleepy, raspy voice filled the room again. "What was that?

"I burned the toast."

"You what?"

"I burned the toast! Alright? Jesus, no need to make me feel _that_ bad!"

"Babe, no -" Again with the pet name. Inevitably, a laugh escaped his lips as he approached her and shook his head slowly upon seeing the burnt toast on a plate, butter having been placed next to it almost mocking the poor woman. How did she manage to do that? No one burned toast like _that_. Grabbing a knife and spreading butter across it, he brought the poor excuse of bread to his mouth and took a large bite, doing his best not to moan painfully as he nodded his head eagerly. "See? It's great, I love it."

"Stiles, oh  _honey_ -" She giggled, she  _actually_ giggled and lifted a napkin to his mouth, wincing as she did, before she muttered. "Spit that out. It's deadly."

"No! It's great, it's - oh, god." Finally doing as told, he rushed to the sink and let the tap run before literally moving his face under it, filling his mouth with cold water before gargling and spitting it out. "I see why you usually don't eat proper meals."

"That's actually offensive."

"I'm sorry." He had the decency to actually look apologetic as his lips tilted up in a soft grin, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of her locks. "Go take a shower, I'll make breakfast."

"Okay." After placing a kiss to his lips, she turned around and noticed Yoda had managed to steal the burnt toast and was eating it. "Oh, Stiles."

"What?"

"Look!" His soft brown eyes landed on his pet and laughed quietly.  _At least someone liked it._

He was almost done with their breakfast when someone - more particularly, a brunette girl with a wonderful smile and dimples to die for, messy, wild dark curls flying everywhere - stepped in the house and he was momentarily distracted by the sudden, unfamiliar presence and though his cop instincts were screaming at him, telling him how bad that situation may be, he felt oddly comfortable by her, as if they had already met.

"Who are you?" He still asked, wanting to be safe, as her brown eyes met his own and her smile seemed to only grow bigger. It felt.. soothing. Whoever that was, she sure had a strong impact on people - her presence was magical.

"You must be the hot neighbour." Hot neighbour? "Stiles, right?" She continued, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world, though without answering his questions.

"Yes, I'm Stiles."

"I'm Allison." That name was familiar. "Lydia's best friend. I have heard so much about you."

"Oh -" Dumb, Stiles, dumb. As if someone would just walk in there, with the intention to cause harm, in the middle of the day - morning, really - _unarmed_. "I -"

"You probably haven't heard of me, I'm not surprised. Surely, you two have more interesting things to do." Was she making fun of him? He didn't have time to process that, not when Lydia appeared in the room again with a much better, more relieved expression across her face, and threw a grin at her best friend.

"Oh, hey, sweetie."

"Are you joining us for breakfast?" The fact that she didn't seem to mind he was around her and her best friend somehow made him grow bolder, wanting to put his interest to practice and actually learn more from the raven haired girl, rather than running out the door as he initially felt like doing. No, Lydia was welcoming him in her life so beautifully and he wanted to be _there_. That seemed like a nice way to start.

"He's nice. I like him." Allison, _he remembered_ , said before nodding while collapsing onto one of the chairs. 

As he started bringing everything to the table where both girls were already sipping from their respective cups of coffee, eyes set on their phones as each one of them went through their emails, he decided to, once again, speak up. "So, Allison - do you think Ross and Rachel were on a break or not?" A loud, cheerful laugh poured out of her lips and caused him to smile, too, as he told himself that his best friend would definitely like her. 

"Oh, I _really_ like him."


End file.
